Page 87 of Eat. Prey. Love.
As if summoned, Rufus chimes in from his spot by the uniforms, clearly having eavesdropped on our conversation. “Don’t sweat it, Coach,” he says, a wry smile playing on his lips. “My triplets are fierce asfuck. If anyone tries anything, they will end up shredded like confetti before they can blink.”
He’s downplaying his own skill to allay her fears; I know that badger took on an entire family of drug dealers to win his spot as heir.
Zhenga nods, visibly relaxing. The tension slips from her shoulders, and I squint at her. I don’t know if she’s just grown attached to our girl as they’ve been working together or what, but she’s very protective of Dolly’s friends. It’s nice… but weird. Then again, Z has never been normal, and I’ve never been able to figure out what the fuck is going on in her head accurately.
After a moment, I lower my voice and turn to Zhenga, hoping to understand her anxiety. “How about you? How’s the team shaping up? I know the Princess is doing well, but what about the rest of them?”
She gives me a small, genuine smile—one that actually reaches her eyes. “It’s going pretty well. I’m actually... happy. Building something new, making the decisions—it’s liberating.” A lightness infuses her words, a stark difference from the desperate lioness seeking a mate to get out of her exile I used to know. “The newbies are slowly learning; this will likely be a reckoning of sorts, but they need it. If they’re going to be on the team, we will compete and they have to put the work in.”
“And the Princess is helping?” I prod gently, aware of their budding relationship. “I’m glad she seems to be forming a friendshipwith you. She hasn’t had a lot of stable people in her life before Apex.”
“Having someone who’s genuine and not just another rival in disguise... it means everything.” There’s a warmth in her tone, reassurance that this strange new world we’ve found ourselves in might just be better than the old. “Plus, she truly wants the others to get better. She doesn’t sabotage them like other preds would.”
“Good,” I say simply, my heart lighter. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Together, we turn back to the blueprints and notes on security merging into a map of safety and strategy. From the corner of my eye, I see Dolly transition into a warrior pose, strength and calm radiating from her. I leave her to her routine, her presence a silent anchor as we prepare for what lies ahead.
“I hope this is enough,” I murmur, my gaze lingering on the determined set of Dolly’s jaw. “We can’t stop magical shit because we don’t know what the fuck to do with it. This is what wecancontrol, so it has to be as close to perfect as possible.”
Zhenga’s eyes meet mine. “We’ll be ready for tonight, Raj. No one we care about will get hurt, other than the normal Games stuff. I promise.”
Her confidence is a balm to the low thrum of unease that hasn’t left me since Dolly came home and reminded me of the damn match. The headmistress’s absence doesn’t make things any easier; it’s as if she’s simply waiting for the chaos to unfold without her watchful eye.
Or maybe helping to orchestrate it, but that’s a suspicion for another day.
“We’ve done everything we can,” I reply, turning my gaze toward the horizon where the stadium gleams. “Everything else is up to Fate.”
“I could pull some Tarot cards if you’re worried! I won’t even charge for my magnificent visions.”
I roll my eyes as the badger mimics dealing cards and Dolly laughs. The levity helps, but I don’t need him to use woo-woo fortune telling. What I need is for the dragon and the gargoyle to get back from their spins around the two wooded sections of campus. Once I know they’ve put their cameras in place, I know Fitz’s system will have a view of the entire campus clear enough to see every possible entry point for an attack force.
Then, I might be able to relax for a minute or two—but not before.
Victorious
The scentof sweat and anticipation hangs heavy in the Pred Games arena, a mixture that sends my rabbit instincts into overdrive. I was the bunny shifter they tried to send to her death, and now I’m the team captain of the competitive fighting team at a second school in two years. I no longer run like the trembling rabbit I was before; no, now I take the fight to my foes head on.
The predator within me defies the animal I emerged as and I love making them eat their words.
Lined up with my teammates, I feel Felicia O’Leary’s glare boring into me like twin daggers. She’s miffed, nostrils flaring at the sight ofme leading the pack. Her ire isn’t just because I’m at the front, but because I’m wearing Cori’s masterpiece—a uniform so sleek and fabulous it looks like victory stitched into fabric. She wants to come after me, distract me, make me lose—but I don’t have time for petty squabbles. My focus is razor-sharp on the matches ahead, and not letting this big event end in disaster.
Coach Zhenga steps forward, her presence commanding silence even among the restless murmurs of my fellow preds. Her eyes sweep across us, burning embers of determination igniting an inferno within each soul present. “This scrimmage,” she begins, her voice echoing off the walls, “is where we start carving our legacy. We are not here to play nice or look pretty. We are here to work hard, earn our place under these lights, and claim the glory that comes with being a true competitor.”
I nod, feeling her words like a war drum in my chest. This isn’t just about today—it’s about setting the tone for what’s to come, showing every doubter and naysayer thatl’Academiebreeds winners, not wimps. This school has been relegated to a soft, frilly arts school for a long time, but we can show the world that’s something to be reckoned with, not snorted at.
“Let them think you’re just weak little artists,” Zhenga’s snarl cuts through the tension like a knife. “By next Fall, they’ll know the truth. You are predators—fierce, relentless, and unstoppable.”
A spark of pride flickers within me. Yes, we will take the championship, but today, today is where it all begins.
“Are you with me?” Our coach’s voice crescendos, demanding an answer.
A chorus of roars erupts around me, a unified declaration of intent.
We are ready. We are hungry for the fight… especially me.
The moment we burst out of the tunnel, the stadium erupts—a cacophony of cheers and roars that could shake thestars from the sky. My heart hammers against my ribcage, a wild rabbit caught in the glare of an oncoming threat. The arena is a sea of faces, a perfect hunting ground for the Fae, a battleground where Council spies could be lurking, and all of their eyes boring into me from above.
But then I see my personal army of supporters, and something fierce and unyielding settles in my chest. Rows of Drew Fluffle jerseys stand out like a banner of loyalty amongst the crowd. Aubrey’s glasses glint in the stadium lights, and Chess’s top knot bounces as he claps. Fitz and Felix are a striking sight, as they stand together with a menacing yet proud look. Renard is smirking, enjoying the applause as he watches silently next to his mate.